College Football: QBs take ‘step back’ in NIU spring game

DEKALB — Northern Illinois head coach Rod Carey may have been smiling after his team wrapped up the 15-practice spring schedule with a reformatted scrimmage inside Huskie Stadium on Saturday.

But he was hiding his true feelings — that is, until he spoke.

“I wasn’t happy with the spring game today; not at all,” Carey said. “The quarterbacks took a major step back, and it’s really disappointing. I thought it was the first day we went backward there.”

Because more than 20 players did not suit up for Saturday’s annual spring finale — including red-shirt freshman wideout Terrance Roby of Rockford Lutheran — the NIU coaching staff changed the format to a glorified practice. While the offense and defense were pitted against each other in a points race that spanned over four drills and two sets of scrimmages, there was no outright tackling, and no big hits dished out.

Still, there was plenty of emotion on the field as the team that is coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons — but is also coming off back-to-back defeats to finish the last season — closed out a spirited spring session that helped Carey and his staff further evaluate what they have for next year.

“We had to find out who we were this spring, and we did that,” Carey said of his squad that brought back 16 starters, including the entire offensive line. “Defensively, there were a number of guys that impressed me, it was good to see. We had a bunch of young guys running around out there.”

But what he wasn’t happy about was the play of his three quarterbacks, who are still battling for the starting nod to replace Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch. Matt McIntosh was the first QB to take the field — only because, Carey insisted, it was his turn in the spring rotation — and while he had his moments, he was picked off on an interception returned for a touchdown by Ladell Fleming.

The Cardinal (defense) team defeated the Black (offense) team 69-37, further highlighting Carey’s offensive frustrations. McIntosh hit Juwan Brescacin on a 75-yard touchdown pass midway through the closing scrimmage, but that was the only time the offense found the end zone, and just one of two times it crossed midfield during the 11-drive session.

Smaha, the former Belvidere North standout, made an impact from his new position, chasing down quarterbacks on four occasions and getting credited with 1½ sacks from his standup defensive end spot.

“We’ve got a good group coming back, but a lot of new faces, too,” Smaha said after he used this spring to vault himself into a rotation with the starting defense. “A bunch of us have some big shoes to fill, but we’re ready to step up. We’ve got a lot more work to do over the next few months.”

So, too, does the future NIU starting quarterback. Will it be McIntosh — “We all want to be the guy,” he said — or the second Huskie under center Saturday, Drew Hare — “Everyday it’s a competition out here, and I’m in it with everything I’ve got,” Hare said — or the current No. 3, Anthony Maddie?

“I sure can’t name him coming off a workout like today,” Carey said, again with a smile. “Now can I? No way.”

His next chance will be after the Huskies take the field again on Aug. 1 when they begin fall camp. And, he’ll have to do it by Aug. 28, when NIU opens the 2014 season against Presbyterian at Huskie Stadium.